CVE-2004-2427 in 2110 Network Camera
Summary
by MITRE
Axis Network Camera 2.40 and earlier, and Video Server 3.12 and earlier, allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via direct requests to (1) admin/getparam.cgi, (2) admin/systemlog.cgi, (3) admin/serverreport.cgi, and (4) admin/paramlist.cgi, modify system information via (5) setparam.cgi and (6) factorydefault.cgi, or (7) cause a denial of service (reboot) via restart.cgi.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/09/2019
This vulnerability affects Axis network cameras and video servers with firmware versions 2.40 and earlier, as well as Video Server 3.12 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw in network video surveillance equipment. The issue stems from insufficient authentication and authorization controls within the web-based management interfaces of these devices, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to access sensitive system information and manipulate device configurations. The vulnerability exists across multiple CGI scripts that handle administrative functions, creating multiple attack vectors for threat actors to exploit without requiring valid credentials or prior access to the network.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation and access control mechanisms within the affected devices. Attackers can directly access administrative CGI endpoints including getparam.cgi for retrieving system parameters, systemlog.cgi for accessing system logs, serverreport.cgi for obtaining server status information, and paramlist.cgi for enumerating parameter configurations. Additionally, the vulnerability permits modification of system settings through setparam.cgi and factorydefault.cgi scripts, while restart.cgi can be exploited to trigger denial of service conditions through unauthorized device reboots. This comprehensive attack surface indicates a fundamental flaw in the device's security architecture where administrative functions are exposed without proper authentication requirements.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for organizations relying on Axis surveillance equipment, as it enables complete compromise of network cameras and video servers from remote locations. Attackers can extract sensitive information such as system configurations, user credentials, network settings, and operational logs that could reveal network topology and security weaknesses. The ability to modify system parameters through setparam.cgi allows threat actors to alter device behavior, potentially disabling security features, changing network configurations, or redirecting video streams to unauthorized locations. The factorydefault.cgi functionality provides attackers with the capability to reset devices to factory settings, effectively erasing all custom configurations and potentially disrupting surveillance operations. The denial of service capability through restart.cgi can be used to repeatedly reboot devices, causing service interruptions and potentially creating denial of service conditions that impact security monitoring capabilities.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and CWE-312 (Sensitive Data Exposure) categories, representing a classic case of insufficient authentication and authorization controls in network devices. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to multiple techniques including T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS), T1046 (Network Service Scanning), T1566 (Phishing), T1562.001 (Impair Defenses: Disable or Modify Tools), and T1499.004 (Endpoint Denial of Service). Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate affected devices, disabling unnecessary web interfaces, implementing strong authentication mechanisms, and applying firmware updates when available. The vulnerability underscores the importance of secure device configuration practices and the necessity of regularly updating network equipment to address known security flaws. Network administrators should also implement monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts and ensure that administrative interfaces are not exposed to untrusted networks.